1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to opening roofs for vehicles, primarily for automobiles.
In particular, the invention is concerned with an opening roof assembly of the kind, hereinafter referred to as the kind specified, comprising a support member, an opening and closing means having a generally flat part carried by the support member, means for mounting the support member on the vehicle for movement relative to the opening between a first position in which the opening and closing means closes the opening and a second position in which the roof is open, and operating means connected between the support member and the said part of the opening and closing means and operable by actuating means to move the said part of the opening and closing means relative to the support member between a first position to lock the support member against movement between its said first and second positions, and a second position to permit such movement of the support member.
The invention has been devised primarily in connection with a folding roof assembly wherein the closure means comprises an elongate generally flat cover member disposed above the support member and a flexible or collapsible cover attached at one end thereof to the cover member and for attachment at the other end thereof to the roof at one end of the opening, the mounting means being arranged to mount the support member on the vehicle so that the support member and the cover member extend transversely of the opening in the roof and the ends of the cover member are disposed above the portions of the roof at opposite sides of the opening whereby the support member is movable longitudinally of the opening between its first position adjacent the other end of the opening in which the cover is extended and closes the opening, and its second position adjacent the said one end of the opening in which the cover is folded up or collapsed and the roof is open, the operating means being operable to move the cover member relative to the support member between its first, lowered position in which the ends of the cover member are in clamping engagement with the said portions of the roof at opposite sides of the opening to lock the support member in its first or second position or any intermediate position wherein the roof is partially open, and its second, raised position in which the ends of the cover member are released from clamping engagement with the roof to permit movement of the support member.
The invention is also applicable to a sliding roof assembly in which the opening and closing means comprises a rigid flat panel which is arranged to be mounted on the vehidle with its sides beneath the portions of the vehicle roof at opposite sides of the opening therein and for movement longitudinally of the opening, and the operating means are connected between a part of the panel and the suport member and are operable to move the panel relative to the support member between a raised position in which the sides of the panel are in sealing engagement with the said portions of the roof and the panel can be secured in an open, partially open or closed position, and a lowered position to permit movement of the panel between said positions.
In both folding and sliding roofs the actuating means for the operating means may be a handle or an electric motor.
The object of the invention is to provide various improvements in opening roofs of the kind specified.